A Comprehensive Guide to Historic Building Restoration

Discover how to restore historic buildings to both code and period.

Key takeaways:

• Restoring a historic building requires teamwork from construction professionals, historic board representatives, and code regulators.
• Safety, authenticity, and accessibility are three hallmarks of a good restoration.
• Detailed documentation and ongoing visual records are essential for the project’s legacy.

Florida’s wealth of historic buildings bears testament to the state’s architectural innovation and rich cultural heritage. 

But Florida’s historic buildings aren’t just relics of a time gone by; they’re also great for the economy.

Research by the University of Florida highlights the key role that restored buildings play in generating billions of dollars annually while creating both jobs and memories for locals and tourists alike.

Historic building restoration is undoubtedly beneficial, but it’s not without its challenges. That’s why, in this article, we’ll break the process of historic building restoration down into six essential steps.

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Secure the Appropriate Permits

Historic buildings are protected by dedicated organizations that oversee their restoration. Before you can start a historic building restoration project, you must acquire their permission.

Here in Florida, your local Historic Preservation Board is a good place to start. These groups are invaluable allies with excellent sources of period-specific information that can aid your restoration project.

Restorations vary in scope, but all will require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). If, for instance, you were seeking to make minor changes to a historic building that you own in Orlando, you would need to apply for a minor review COA from the city first.

COAs for major work, like demolitions or additions, require more documentation, including detailed project plans, lists of proposed materials, and photographs.

Step 2: Prioritize Safe Restoration With Construction Inspection

Safety before, during, and after restoration is top priority. All sites should be thoroughly inspected before work begins to assess structural deterioration and its associated risks. 

These may include:

• Slip and fall hazards where water has accumulated;
• Respiratory dangers such as mold and mildew;
• Unstable floors, ceilings, or stairways; and
• The current level of the structure’s code compliance.

Scheduling a construction inspection early in the planning process is a great way to assess these risks and more before starting your restoration work. In-progress inspections should also be carried out as the project evolves.

Inspections can take several forms, including daily inspections to keep things on schedule (and assess yesterday’s progress) and health and safety inspections that ensure everyone is safe and that OSHA requirements are met. 

A final, thorough inspection must also be carried out when the project is complete but before the building is opened to the public.

Step 3: Put a Winning Team in Place

Hiring a full-service construction company is arguably the most critical step in historic building restoration. 

Full-service teams are multi-disciplinary, with skills ranging from:

• Roofing, flooring, and carpentry;
• Foremen;
• Financing;
• Time management;
• Project inspections; and
• Permits and documentation.

These diverse specializations provide a wide range of expertise from a single provider, ensuring that your historic building restoration project proceeds safely and professionally.

It also provides the added luxury of communicating about the many moving parts of your restoration project with, once again, a single provider.

Step 4: Maintain Visual and Administrative Records

Filming and photographing your restoration project from start to finish creates an important visual record. 

These images are used as references for future repairs and maintenance. They can also be used as evidence that work is progressing as it should. 

Retaining other records, like invoices, receipts, and contracts, helps avoid any financial confusion during and after restoration.

Step 5: Select and Implement the Appropriate Materials

Preserving every possible architectural detail is vital if your goal is to achieve maximum authenticity. Reviving a structure’s interior and exterior requires many factors to consider, all of which are typical of the restoration period and key to that building’s character. 

These can include:

• Types of stone, metal, and wood used in the main structure;
• Decorative features on floors, columns, and ceilings; and
• Paint and other finishes.

It’s a golden rule of restoration that repairs should be prioritized over replacements. All restorative work must ideally match the original crafting and materials; any substitutes must maintain the look and function of the originals as accurately as possible. 

Sourcing and integrating authentic materials call for a skilled and experienced construction team who understands the unique demands of the project.

When it comes to historic building restoration, there’s no room for free license or conjecture; every aspect of construction must be true to the period. 

Step 6: Follow Building Codes and Regulations

Historic building restoration requires dedicated research into what’s required by those organizations specializing in bygone aesthetics and those enforcing today’s stringent building codes and safety standards.

These codes can vary depending on location. However, the National Park Service (NPS) provides resources for a general understanding of what bringing historic buildings up to code can look like. 

Four typical considerations are:

• Safe management of hazardous materials present in historic buildings;
• Fire and life-safety precautions;
• Making the property accessible for anyone with a disability; and
• Reinforcing the structure against seismic activity.

The NPS recommends reading Preservation Brief 51 to learn more about these first two steps. 

Preservation Brief 32 and Preservation Brief 41 expand on the latter two code requirements.

Rise to the Restoration Challenge With RPC General Contractors

Historic restorations require time, patience, and tender care. Our full-service construction company is experienced in giving historic buildings a new lease on life while following code requirements and respecting their unique character.

RPC General Contractors has spent the last 36 years helping thousands of clients realize their dream building projects. 

Contact us today by email, phone, or drop by in person. We’d love to play a part in helping you preserve the past!